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Migraine and headache research - off to DC!

Not a single medication has ever been developed specifically for Migraine and headache prevention. Not one, yet we have seven triptans (acute medications used to abort Migraine attacks).

For quite some time, I didn't understand how or why that would be. Some people theorized that the pharmaceutical companies could "cure" Migraine disease, if they wanted to, but were making enough profit on medications such as triptans that they didn't want to produce the "cure." Although I can understand that line of thinking, that's not the case.

In a nutshell, I found that we owe our lack of effective treatments to lack of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding for Migraine disease and headache. Most disease research is funded by the NIH. Once that research is available, the pharmaceutical companies have a basis from which to develop treatments. That's why some people say that one medication and six "me-toos" - the triptans - have been developed for Migraine instead of multiple more unique medications.

Take a look at this excerpt from an editorial published in Headache: the Journal of  Head and Face Pain:

"Abundant evidence shows that the seminal studies that lead to innovative pharmaceuticals are most often performed in publicly-funded research laboratories, not those of the pharmaceutical industry. Federal funding of research on epilepsy has always hugely out-paced that for migraine. Over the past several years, mean annual NIH expenditures for epilepsy have been ~$101M compared to ~$13M for migraine, with a comparable disparity in funding every year since 1972 - the earliest year of available records for NIH grants.

What did the federal funding for epilepsy purchase? Fundamental research beginning in the 1970's led to the development of epilepsy animal models that enabled the screening of drugs for anti-convulsant properties. The NIH then funded and provided oversight of this program of accelerated screening of compounds developed by academia and industry. Thirty years later, patients with epilepsy have a considerably wider set of therapeutic options.

Headache medicine is also on the threshold of new insights into the pathogenesis of the primary headache disorders. Animal models relevant to drug screening are beginning to appear. What is needed now is a commitment to headache medicine from federal agencies similar to that which has been appropriately extended to epilepsy... Based on the example of the epilepsies, real benefits will likely be felt by headache patients over time in the form of improved access to specialty care and the development of novel effective therapies."(see link to the full editorial below)

Do I hear someone asking, "So, when is someone going to do something about this issue?"  The answer to that question is ... Now.

Allow me to lay it out for you with answers to the questions journalists are trained to ask...

Read more in Migraine and headache sufferers - We're off to DC on your behalf!

An invitation to express yourself about pain!

American Pain Foundation and The HealthCentral Network:
Call for Artistic Submissions for Creativity and Pain Exhibit

Deadline for Entries is September 20, 2007

The American Pain Foundation (“APF”) and project partner The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is accepting entries for the 2007 APF Pain and Creativity Exhibit. This online exhibit will showcase all contributing artists and their work, including visual arts, inspirational videos, poetry, and quilt squares. Select submissions will be chosen for special promotion by APF. The Pain and Creativity community will be ongoing, but to be considered for special honor in the Exhibit, and at the APF’s 10th Anniversary Celebration in October, submissions must be received by September 20th. Entries can be submitted at www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/apf/ 

“HealthCentral.com is pleased to be working with the American Pain Foundation to host the Pain and Creativity Exhibit—a virtual space where anyone can share their painting, drawings, sculpture, and video with other individuals dealing with pain,” said Bill Allman, General Manager of HealthCentral. “Art can play a major role in expressing and working through chronic pain, and we believe that the Pain and Creativity Exhibit offers a flexible, supportive environment in which to do this.”

“Recognizing that we are all creative and have the power to turn adversity into opportunity, we would like to expand our Pain and Creativity network to connect artists and their expressions of pain through an online exhibit of creative work,” said Will Rowe, Executive Director of APF. “Our hope is that the submissions to the Pain and Creativity Exhibit come in a variety of forms, including film, sculpture, words, painting and quilt blocks, from people who have pain or from people who are affected by pain.”

Entrants can contribute poetry, prose, a digital photo of their artwork, or an inspirational video that tells the story of how pain can affect one’s life. Along with their submission, entrants also need to include a paragraph that describes how their piece of art represents their pain experience.

A related project sponsored by APF in conjunction with the Lagniappe Project of Baltimore is calling for the submission of quilt blocks for the inclusion in a quilt which will reflect the experience of pain. Quilts are a literal and figurative symbol of comfort and the joining of patchwork is a symbol of unity and community. Through the block design, construction, and joining to create a finished quilt, we hope that the artist finds comfort and unity. The finished quilts will be exhibited at the APF’s 10th Anniversary Celebration in October and will be used for fundraising purposes through the Celebration Auction and/or through other fundraising efforts. For more information on quilt square requirements, CLICK HERE.

The deadline for all submissions is Thursday, September 20.

About The HealthCentral Network
The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.healthcentral.com) is a new and unique online offering, comprised of over 30 general health and highly specific condition and wellness web properties, each committed to offering a voice in everyday and personal language people can understand and connect with at critical points in their lives. Each site provides timely, interactive, in-depth and trusted medical information (from Harvard Health Publications among others), and connections to leading experts and thousands of people who share their related experiences and inspiration.

About the American Pain Foundation
Founded in 1997, the American Pain Foundation is an independent nonprofit 501(c)3 organization serving people with pain through information, advocacy, and support. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of people with pain by raising public awareness, providing practical information, promoting research, and advocating to remove barriers and increase access to effective pain management. For more information, visit www.painfoundation.org.